Truss



T. SIMMONS.

TRUSS.'

No.' 374,091. Patented Nov. 29, 1887.

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THOMAS SIMMONS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pat-ent No. 374,091, datedNovember 29, 1887.

Application filed July 5,1887. Serial No. 243,41(i. (Model.)

To all whom may concern..-

Be it known that I, rIHoMAs SIMMoNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrusses; and I do hereby declare that t-he following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters andfiguresof reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 ofthe drawings is a perspective view of my improved truss; Fig.2, a sectional view, in detail, ofthat end ofthe truss provided withpawl and ratchet; Fig. 3, a detail plan view of that portion of theYtruss provided with aback spring, and Fig. Il an edge view of Fig. 3.

vThe object of the present invention is to provide a simple andeasily-adjusted truss that may be reversed at pleasure and adjusted togive ease and comfort to the wearer; and it consists in the details ofconstruction, substantially as shown in the drawings, and hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The truss consists of the usual flexible band, A, provided at one endwith a leather or other suitable tongue or strap, B, having holes a, toengage with buttons or other suitable fastenings on the metal plate C,so as to adapt the band to the requirements of the person wearing it.The band A may be formed of any suitable material found best adapted tothe purpose, and is provided with pads D, also of any preferredconstruction.

The plate C is formed of spring metal, so as to provide a springplate,to the inner side of which is secured a suitable cushion, E. To thewidest end of the plate C is secured in any suitable manner the pad F;also, to said plate is connected in any well-known manner a bracket, b,in which is located a ratchetwheel, c, vwith which engages aspring-pawl, d. This ratchet-Wheel is formed integral upon the end of ashort shaft or couplingsection, G,whieh has its bearing in the side ofthe bracket b, said coupling-section being pivoted i-n any well-knownmanner to an extension, H, of a metal plate or band, I, said platehaving the usual lining, c, upon the inner side thereof. The oppositeend of the plate Iis pivotally connected to the flexible band A, asshown .more clearly in Fig. 3, and is provided upon its outer side witha spring, K. The metal band Iis also formed of spring metal, so as toact as a spring, and may be, of any suitable lengthV and width., asfound best adapted to the purpose; and I do not desire to be understoodas limiting myself to any special form of llexible band or form orconstruction of pads, as they may be modifiedin form, so long as itcomes within ordinary mechanical skill and may be constructed of anydesirable material, and any number of'65 pads may be used and locatedupon the truss with relation to each other as circumstances 'mayrequire.

By means of the paWland-ratcliet connection the truss can be adapted forusc, either for right or left hernia, by 'simply reversing the ratchet;and it is also adapted for use in cases of double hernia, as well as forsingle hernia, and when to be used for the former a suitable pad isconnected to the plate() by means ofscrew f, or other suitablefastening.

The springK is connected to the springband I at one end by means of asuitable rivet, g, and its opposite end is slotted, as shown at h, andis unattached to the spring- 8o band and free to act. A screw, i, passesthrough the slot h of the spring and through the band I, as shown inFig. 4, and by adjust" ing said screw itt will bear with greater or lesslforce upon the band I, and after the band has been manipulated to fitthe body snugly the screw, as hereinbefore described, is adjusted so asto cause a back action on the band by the pressure of the spring K, andby that means remove from spinal column a pressure 9o which withordinary spring attachments is a cause of considerable injury to persons.obliged to wear such mechanical appliances.

The pads D save the spine from irritation, andthe general constructionof thetruss gives comfort to the wearer, and may be adjusted to adaptitself to circumstances.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a truss, the combination, with the plate C and the pad carriedthereby, of the bracket b, secured to said plate, the pawl cl, thecouplingsection G, and the ratchet-wheel TOO formed integralwithsuidsecton, journaled in In testimony that I claim the above I havesaid bracket and engugiugsuid pawl, substanhereunto subscribed my numein the presence tiztlly as described. of two Witnesses.

2. In u truss, the combination, with the 5 metal bund I, of the metalspring K, secured THOMAS SIMMONS.

at one end to said band and slotted at its other end, and the sot-screwi, passed through the Witnesses:

slot of the spring and through the baud I, URIAH CASE,

substantially as shown and described, and for CHARLES F. BENTON. 1o thepurpose specified.

